Diminishing containers

ABSTRACT

Plastic cylindrical containers having threaded bodies are adapted to be screwed into cupped rams, which carry staples having sharp edges serving to shave the lower edges of the containers. One container has an external thread which is interrupted to form a design and indicia and which forms a ratchet to define an anti-reverse structure with pawl portions of the ram. Another container has an internal buttress thread.

United States Patent Hall [ 51 May 16, 1972 [54] DIMINISHING CONTAINERS [72] Inventor: Leland V. Hall, Riddle, Oreg.

[73] Assignee: Oasis Electronics, Riddle, Oreg.

[22] Filed: Dec. 23, 1969 21 Appl. No.1 887,528

[52] US. Cl ..222/80, 222/390 [51] Int. Cl B67b 7/36 [58] Field of Search ..222/390, 80, 386, 87, 86;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,285,186 11/1918 Horwitz ..222/39o x 1,610,484 12/1926 Boggero et a1 ..222/80 3,432,078 3/1969 Hall 2,919,835 1/1960 Butler.....

Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Norrnan L. Stack, Jr. Attorney-Buckhorn, Blore, Klarquist and Sparkman [57] ABSTRACT Plastic cylindrical containers having threaded bodies are adapted to be screwed into cupped rams, which carry staples having sharp edges serving to shave the lower edges of the containers. One container has an external thread which is interrupted to form a design and indicia and which forms a ratchet to define an anti-reverse structure with pawl portions of the ram. Another container has an interna buttress thread.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing figures Patented May 16, 1972 3,662,925

2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. I

54 z All-4o LELAND V4 HALL.

INVENTOR BY BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST & SPARKMAN ATTORNEYS Patented May 16, 1972 3,662,925

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BUCKHORN, BLORE, KLARQUIST & SPARKMAN ATTORNEYS This invention relates to improved diminishing containers and more particularly to diminishing containers having sharp cornered threads.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved diminishing containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide diminishing containers having sharp cornered threads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a diminishing container having a staple provided with asharp edge to shave the container as its contents are dispensed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diminishing container having a sharp cornered thread.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diminishing container having an external square thread having interruptions to provide anti-reverse rotation. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a diminishing container having an internal, buttress thread.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is an exploded, partially sectional view of an improved diminishing container forming one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded, partially sectional view of an improved diminishing container forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the container of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged end view of a cutter of the container of FIG. 4, prior to assembly of the cutter with the container; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of an improved diminishing container forming an alternate embodiment of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 an improved diminishing container 10 forming one embodiment of the invention and including a tube 12, a ram 14 and a cap 16. The tube 12 is composed of a plastic material and has a thin-walled, cylindrical body portion 18 reinforced by a square or acme thread 20 extending helically around the exterior of the body. The thread has interruptions 22 preferably about four per turn of the thread, the interruptions being arranged and of a shape to form an ornamental pattern or design and also to form indicia 24. The interruptions also form sharp ratchet or pawl portions 26, about four per turn. The cap 16 may be screwed onto a threaded spout 28.

The ram 14 includes a hollow ram portion 30 having an end portion 32 complementary in shape to the end portion of tube 12. The ram portion fits closely and slidably in the sleeve, and extends substantially beyond an internally threaded skirt 34 having a square or acme thread 36 and four ramp-like teeth or pawls 38 just below the lowermost turn of the thread 36 and just above a staple-like cutter 40 having a sharp edge 42 on a bridging portion 44 of the cutter. The cutter is initially U- shaped and has sharp ends 46 and 48 and is pressed by a staple gun through the skirt 34 and the tube 30 to fit tightly in the holes formed therethrough. The lower arm of the staple then is bent to the clinched position thereof shown in FIG. 2 to rigidly lock the cutter to the ram. The height of the bridging portion 44 is such that the cutting edge 42 cuts the thin-walled portion of the tube 30 between the turns of the thread 20. Cavity 50 in the ram serves to retain the shavings as the tube is shaved away. The pawls 38 engage the pawls 26 to prevent unscrewing the ram out of the tube. A web 52 joins the skirt and the ram portion and has an inclined portion 54 supporting the staple.

EMBODIMENT 0F FIGS. 4 TO 6 A diminishing container forming an alternate embodiment of the invention includes a thin-walled plastic tube 62 and a ram 64 adapted to be screwed into the tube, extrude contents of the tube from a spout 66 thereof and shave off the lower portion of the tube. The tube has an internal buttress thread 68 provided with notches 70 spaced 90 apart, four notches per turn of the thread.

The ram 64 has a piston or ram portion having an external buttress thread 82, and, between the two lowermost turns of the thread, four tapered or pawl-like teeth 84 adapted to interlock with the notches 70 to prevent screwing the ram out of the tube. An outer sleeve portion 86 of the ram extends con centrically along the lower portion of the ram and over the lowermost portion ofthe tube 62. A cover disc 88 snaps into an annular groove 90 to close chamber 92 in the A staple-like cutter having a sharp edge 102 and pointed end portions 104 and 106 is forced through the skirt 86 and the end portion 104 is forced through the sleeve 62.

i The end portion 106 then is clinched over to lock the cutter in place. The portion 104 is held tightly and rigidly by the sleeve and the skirt and has a short bridging portion which is etfective as the cutter. The cutting edge 102 of the bridging portion is at a height relative to the threads 68 and 82 that the cutting edge 102 always engages a portion of the thin-walled tube between adjacent turns of the thread 68 so that shaving of the lower end of the tube is always as easy as possible. The buttress type threads permit the ram to be inserted by snapping the uppermost turn of the thread 82 over the lowermost turn of the thread 68.

EMBODIMENT OF FIG. 7

An improved diminishing container shown in FIG. 7 and forming an alternate embodiment of the invention is like the container 10 except for the dispensing structure thereof. The container of FIG. 7 includes a tube 112 having a body portion 118 like the body portion 18 and a necked down spout portion 128 to which is integrally joined a cupped pan or dish defining an upwardly opening chamber 136. A flexible plastic cap 116 having a rim 117 snaps over a rim portion 134 of the dish 130.

In using the container of FIG. 7, with the container vertical and the cap 116 removed, the ram (not shown) like the ram 14 is screwed into the tube 118 until a desired supply of the contents of the tube is forced into the dish 130. The container then is supported in a vertical position with the ram or base resting on a table, ledge or shelf and the dish 130 is dipped into as desired to obtain a supply of the contents. When the quantity desired has been used, the cap is replaced over the rim to seal the contents of the container and it can be stored either in a vertical or a horizontal position.

If desired, the cap 116 may have a central, threaded plug member adapted to be screwed into the spout portion 128 which may be internally threaded. Also, if desired, the spout portion 128 and the dish 130 could be omitted, the portion 132 be dished or concave rather than convex and the cap 116 be large enough to fit over the end of the top edge of the tube 1 18.

What is claimed is:

1. In an improved diminishing container,

a tube member having a spout and adapted to dispense a liquid or paste material and having an exteriorly threaded body portion,

a ram member adapted to fit in one end of the tube member and be moved along the body portion to force the material out of the spout and having a threaded portion adapted to engage the threaded body portion and cause the ram member to move along the tube member when the ram member is rotated relative to the tube member,

the ram including an inner portion inside the tube member and an outer portion outside the tube member,

piston portion and being securely anchored to the ram member,

the cutter having a first pointed cutter arm portion driven through the skirt portion and the piston portion,

the cutter having a second pointed arm portion driven through the skirt portion and clinched over the inner side of the skirt portion. 

1. In an improved diminishing container, a tube member having a spout and adapted to dispense a liquid or paste material and having an exteriorly threaded body portion, a ram Member adapted to fit in one end of the tube member and be moved along the body portion to force the material out of the spout and having a threaded portion adapted to engage the threaded body portion and cause the ram member to move along the tube member when the ram member is rotated relative to the tube member, the ram including an inner portion inside the tube member and an outer portion outside the tube member, and a staple-like cutter anchored by the inner and outer portions of the ram member and extending therebetween and adapted to shave off the body portion of the tube member when the ram member is rotated relative to the body member, the ram member having an inner piston portion fitting in the body portion and an outer skirt portion spaced outwardly from the body portion, the cutter extending through the skirt portion into the piston portion and being securely anchored to the ram member, the cutter having a first pointed cutter arm portion driven through the skirt portion and the piston portion, the cutter having a second pointed arm portion driven through the skirt portion and clinched over the inner side of the skirt portion. 